Expert: Michael - 9/16/2006

Question
Hello. I'm planning on surprising my daughter who is graduating next year with a family trip to somewhere in the United Kingdom, but the problem is I don't know where to go. I'm an extensive traveler but I've never been to the UK much less Europe! I also have another daughter who is 14. She loves old things like castles, etc, but she hates going to museums. My other daughter loves the outdoors, and I thought that going to the United Kingdom would be great for them both. The ideal vacation date would be the week before Easter, because they don't have school that week, but it really could be any time. I'm hoping not to spend a fortune, but I do understand that it will be expensive. Hopefully you have some advice for me on where to go and what the UK offers! Thanks

Mark

Answer
Hello Mark,

Wow, what a challenge! Funnily enough, your question is very difficult, simply because it's so easy! There are very few places in the whole of the UK where you are more than about 50 miles from a good castle. A search on the British Tourist Authority website brings up around 400 castles - and there are many more which are not included on that database. Thinking of my own locality near Gatwick Airport, I know of 4 castles which are within a 1-hour drive which are still in excellent repaid and are decorated as they were last inhabited. Further afield there are many more, and many hundreds of uninhabited and ruined castles. Indeed, as a school teacher, I am taking my own class on a school trip next week to a ruined Mediaeval castle near us!

My advice would be to look at a couple of website for both travel advice, and ideas of ideal locations. Since many flights from the US come in to London Heathrow airport, you are brilliantly placed for the royal castle at Windsor - the Queen still uses this castle as one of her main residences, but visitors are allowed entry to certain parts of the castle. Naturally, the town of Windsor itself is stepped in History, and makes a perfect location for staying near to London, but also in easy reach of some of the most beautiful and historic parts of the country.

There is also a website run by an American who was based in England for some time and became a fan of castles and the like, which I can recommend.

Hopefully these sources of information will be of use. Should you require any further information, please don't hesitate to ask another question.

Regards

Michael

British Tourism Website:
http://www.visitbritain.com/

Castles of Britain website:
http://www.castles-of-britain.com/

Visiting Windsor Castle:
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=34